University of Richmond Department of Military Science and Leadership Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) College Application Guide for High School Students

Start Early! College applications are normally due in the middle of your Senior year of high school, but should be completed in the fall of your senior year to be more competitive. Therefore you should be researching colleges during your Junior year. Look at academic programs and majors that interest you or that are applicable to a career that you would like to pursue. For example, if you want to pursue a career in the foreign service, a school with a good International Relations program may be right for you. Look at the location of schools and how that would affect you and your family. Selecting a College that’s Right for You. College Application Guide for High School Students Research different universities and colleges. All colleges have websites where you can look at the application process, explore their programs, and even take virtual tours or chat with current students. Often schools have Facebook and other social networking accounts as well. Other websites have general information about schools like or check out US News and World Report’s college rankings.

Look at a school’s tuition rates and examine whether it is affordable to you. But don’t close the door on an expensive school right away! Look into scholarship and financial aid opportunities that are available. Various colleges and universities, programs, the federal government and private organizations offer financial aid and scholarships. The US Army even offers scholarships to highly qualified students ( There is money out there for many students but you have to research it! Standardized testing: Do not put standardized testing off to the last minute! You should start taking SATs/ACTs your junior year and take them several times to maximize your score. You can improve your scores by taking preparatory classes ranging from CDs to classes given by local learning centers. Registration is usually one month before the test. Look at the SAT calendar at The Army even offers a free online service to help prepare for the SATs/ACTs and military entrance tests at Selecting a College that’s Right for You. College Application Guide for High School Students If you are concerned that you will not be accepted to a four year school you may be able to attend community college and transfer to a four year institution. Visit Schools! You can arrange online for a tour of a school. Again, this should be done in your Junior year so that you know where you would like to go by the time you are actually applying.

Narrow down your colleges to a few that you would like to attend and rank them. Make a list of colleges that you are interested in and fill out applications for them. Even if you do not think you will get in to a hard school, you can still apply and see what happens. This is called a reach school. You should also apply to schools that you know you are qualified for in case you don’t get accepted into the reach school. Applying: You should have taken the SATs and have researched and explored colleges before Senior year so that by the time you apply you know what is out there and what schools you would like to attend. Concurrently, you should be filling out applications for scholarships and keep track of when they are due. It is better to get all of your applications in early! Typically, college applications are due in January through March of your senior year, but you should get yours in much earlier than that, in the October or November timeframe. Many schools offer an Early Decision Application. If you are sure where you want to go you can apply under Early Decision. Early decision applications are usually due in November of your senior year, but if you are selected for early decision by a college then you have committed to attending that particular school. Applying to College. College Application Guide for High School Students

Application Timeline College Application Guide for High School Students AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE You should begin standardized testing your Junior year to maximize your opportunities to take it and prepare. During this time your should also be researching colleges, researching scholarships, and visiting colleges. Early decision applications are typically due in the Fall. Schools vary. This is the ideal time to get your application in, especially if you want to do early decision. College Applications typically due between January and March. Schools vary. You should already have applied before the due date! High School Graduation! If you are interested in a career in the Army, you can apply for an ROTC scholarship between February 1 st of your Junior year to January 10 th of your Senior year. Apply at: Junior Year Senior Year

ROTC stands for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. It is a program in college that teaches students leadership skills and commissions students as officers in the United States Army after graduation. ROTC classes are offered on many college campuses and often count for credit. If you are a good student with a background in athletics and leadership, then ROTC is a program that you should consider. ROTC participants take classes through their school’s ROTC department just as they would normal college classes. Additionally, they participate in weekend and summer training events to prepare them for life as an officer. After they complete their degrees they serve as officers in the Army, normally for at least a four year active-duty commitment. Scholarships through ROTC are available to pay for college! Go to for an application. ROTC begins accepting applications February 1st of your Junior year and stops accepting them after January 10th of your Senior year. College Application Guide for High School Students Opportunities in ROTC Careers as an Army Officer vary. You could become an artillery officer, a signal (communications) officer, a helicopter pilot, or a nurse just to name a few of the fields available. Great travel opportunities are another benefit of being a Soldier. The ROTC program at the University of Richmond consists of students from six colleges, including the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Longwood University, Hampden-Sydney College, Randolph-Macon College, and Virginia Union University. If you are interested in ROTC and one of these colleges, fill out an application from the ROTC website (at the bottom of the page). Don’t forget to apply to these schools. Our website is Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Our Facebook name is “U.S. Army ROTC Spider BN”.

College Application Guide for High School Students Links University of Richmondwww.richmond.eduwww.richmond.edu Virginia Commonwealth Universitywww.vcu.eduwww.vcu.edu Hampden-Sydney Collegewww.hsc.eduwww.hsc.edu Longwood Universitywww.longwood.eduwww.longwood.edu Randolph-Macon Collegewww.rmc.eduwww.rmc.edu Virginia Union Universitywww.vuu.eduwww.vuu.edu US Army Cadet Command (ROTC Scholarship) Prepare for the SAT for free! and both offer a wealth of information on colleges and the application process.